Wire-tightener.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904 T. J. GORRIGAN. WIRE TIGHTENBR.

TION FILED FEB. 15, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WIRE-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 762,691, dated June 14, 1904. Application filed February 15, 1904. Serial No. l93,536. od

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. .CORRIGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Arkansas City, in the county of Cowley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved lNire-Tightener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for tightening or taking up the slack in wires, particularly fence-wires, the object being to provide a tightener of simple construction by means of which the wire may be quickly and neatly tightened with very little labor and without danger of drawing the fastening-staples from the posts.

I will describe a wire-tightener embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wiretightener embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The device comprises two levers or handles 5 6. One of said levers or handles, here shown as the lever 5, has a pair of jaws 7 which at the forward end are connected by a crosspiece 8, forming a fulcrum for the single jaw 9, carried by the lever 6, and which is movable between said jaws 7. The jaw 9 has a hook end 10 for removably engaging with the cross-piece 8, and, as here indicated, the said.

single jaw is somewhat thicker or higher than the other jaws, so that the upper portion of the jaw 9 will pass above the plane of the jaws 7 The upper side of the jaw 9 is provided with notches 11, and it will be further noted that the top surface, in which these notches 11 are formed, is inclined downward, so as to gradually diminish the vertical thickness of the jaw, thus providing for the formation of different lengths of loops in the wire, as will be hereinafter described.

The inner walls of the jaw members 7 are provided with verticalchannels 12, these channels being practically opposite the notches 11, and to make provision for different thicknesses or sizes of wire the inner surfaces of said jaws 7 are divergent from their outer ends inward.

In the operation the jaws are to be swung apart, so that the wire may be passed between the same and engage any one of the notches 11. Then by forcing the levers 5 and 6 toward each other the jaw 9 will be pressed up between the jaws 7, carrying the wire through the channels 12 opposite the notches. This will form a loop in the wire, as clearly indicated in the drawings, and while tightening the wire the loop will not cause an unsightly bend, because the said loop has a regular formation.

The device is simple in construction, easy of operation, and much more effective than tighteners heretofore constructed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A wire-tightener comprising a lever having a pair of jaws, a connection between the upper ends of said jaws, another lever, a jaw carried by said other lever and adapted to pass between the first-named jaws while fulcrumed on said cross-piece, the top of said single jaw being inclined forward and downward, and provided with notches.

2. A wire-tightener comprising a lever comprising a pair of jaws on said lever connected at the forward end by a cross-piece, the inner sides of said jaws being provided with channels vertically disposed, another lever, a single jaw on said other lever having a hook end for engaging on said cross piece, the said single jaw having a vertical thickness greater than the vertical thickness of the pair of jaws, the said single jaw also having notches in its upper side,substantially opposite the channels formed in the pair of jaws. l

3. A wire-tightener comprising a lever having a pair of jaws divergent from their outer ends inward,a cross-piece connecting the outer ends of said jaws, the said jaws being channeled on the inner side, another lever, a jaw on said other lever having a hook end for engaging removably with the cross-piece, the upper surface of the last-named jaw being inclined downward and forward, and notches formed in said upper surface opposite the channels in the first-named jaws.

4. A wire-tightner substantially as herein described comprising a pair of jaws, and a jaw swinging between the jaws of the pair, the space between the jaws of the pair, and the intermediate jaw varying in width in the direction of length of the jaws whereby provision is made for different thicknesses or sizes of wire.

5. A wire-tightener comprising a section having a pair of jaws, a handle at one end thereof and a cross-piece at the other end of the jaws and connecting the same and a jaw operating between said first jaws and having at one end a hook engaging with the crosspiece and at its other end a handle substantially as set forth.

6. A wire-tightener comprising a pair of jaws spaced apart and having their inner faces diverging rearwardly, a handle at the rear end of said jaws, a cross-piece at the front I end of the jaws and extending between the same, and a jaw operating between said first aws and having at one end a hook engaglng the cross-piece between said first aws and at its other end a handle all adapted for use substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

